WASHINGTON (AP) – The US House quickly pressed on Tuesday for impeachment or other measures to forcibly remove President Donald Trump from office, even when Trump blamed Democratic enemies and not himself for the deadly attack of the week passed to the Capitol.
He targeted lawmakers who are pushing for his expulsion, saying it is “a really terrible thing what they are doing”.
“To continue on this path, I think it is causing enormous danger to our country, and it is causing enormous anger,” he said. He did not accept the blame for the attack on the Capitol and said: “I don’t want violence”.
The defeated president, in his first remarks to journalists since last week’s violence, showed no remorse for setting the crowd on fire before the deadly invasion with comments that are now part of the impeachment charge of inciting insurrection.
The president spoke as he left for Texas to inspect the border wall with Mexico, without answering questions, after the most serious and deadly domestic foray into the Capitol in the country’s history.
Impeachment ahead, the House will first try to convince the vice president and the Cabinet to act even more quickly to remove Trump from office, warning that he is a threat to democracy in the remaining days of his presidency.
House legislators are meeting again on Capitol Hill for the first time since the deadly pro-Trump riot to pass a resolution calling for Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to declare the president unable to serve. Pence is not expected to take such action. Then the House would move quickly to accuse Trump.
“We have to be very tough and very strong now in defense of the Constitution and democracy,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., Author of both laws, in an interview.
Trump faces a single charge – “inciting insurrection” – in resolving impeachment that the House will start debating on Wednesday, a week before Democrat Joe Biden takes office on January 20.
The unprecedented events, which could make Trump the first president of the United States to undergo two impeachment processes, are unfolding in a country that is preparing for further unrest. The FBI ominously warned of potential armed protests in Washington and many states by Trump supporters before Biden’s inauguration. In a dark omen, the Washington Monument has been closed to the public and the opening ceremony on the west steps of the Capitol will be banned from the public.
All of this resulted in impressive final moments for Trump’s presidency, as Democrats and an increasing number of Republicans declare that he is not fit for office and can do more harm after inciting a crowd that violently looted the US Capitol in last Wednesday.
A Capitol policeman died of injuries sustained in the rebellion, and police shot a woman during the violence. Three other people died in what the authorities said were medical emergencies.
Last Monday, the entire Congressional Hispanic Caucus, all 34 members, unanimously agreed to support the impeachment, calling for Trump’s immediate removal.
“Of course, every time Trump remains in office, America is at risk,” said a statement from the caucus, led by Rep. Raul Ruiz, D-Ca. It said that Trump “should be held responsible” for his actions.
Democrats aren’t the only ones who say Trump needs to go.
Congresswoman Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., Spoke to colleagues from the Republican Party on Monday about the importance of voting, and encouraged them to consider it a “vote of conscience,” according to an anonymous person to discuss the private call. She spoke critically about Trump’s actions, but did not say publicly how she would vote.
Republican Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania joined Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska over the weekend to ask Trump to “leave as soon as possible”.
Pence and Trump met on Monday for the first time since the attack on the Capitol and had a “good talk”, promising to continue working for the rest of their terms, said a senior government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private meeting.
Pence gave no indication that he would continue to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office. No Cabinet member has publicly asked that Trump be removed from office through the Amendment 25 process.
As security increased, Biden said on Monday that he “was not afraid” to take the oath of office outside the Capitol.
As for the troublemakers, Biden said: “It is extremely important that there is a real and serious focus on arresting those people who have been involved in sedition and threatened lives, disfiguring public property, causing great damage – that they be held responsible. “
Biden said he held talks with senators before a possible impeachment trial, which some fear will disrupt the first days of his government.
Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer was exploring ways to immediately call the Senate to trial as soon as the House acts, although Republican leader Mitch McConnell needs to agree. The president-elect suggested splitting the Senate’s time, perhaps “spending half a day dealing with impeachment, half a day to get my people nominated and confirmed in the Senate, as well as moving forward in the package” to get more relief from COVID.
As Congress resumed, unrest swept over the government. Another lawmaker, Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., Announced on Tuesday that she had tested positive for COVID-19 after taking shelter during the siege.
Many lawmakers may choose to vote by proxy instead of coming to Washington, a process that was implemented last year to limit health risks from travel.
Republican House leader Kevin McCarthy discouraged Republican lawmakers from using the proxy option. But during a call with them, he loosened his strict opposition to this week’s votes, according to a Republican who granted anonymity to discuss the private call.
Among Trump’s closest allies in Congress, McCarthy said in a letter to colleagues that “impeachment at this time would have the opposite effect of uniting our country.”
He said he would review a possible censorship of the president. But House Republicans are divided and some can vote for impeachment.
Democrats say they have votes for impeachment. The impeachment bill for deputies David Cicilline of Rhode Island, Ted Lieu of California, Raskin of Maryland and Jerrold Nadler of New York is based on Trump’s false statements about his defeat in the Biden elections.
Judges across the country, including some nominated by Trump, have repeatedly rejected cases challenging the election results, and former Attorney General William Barr, a Trump ally, said there was no sign of widespread fraud.
Impeachment legislation also details Trump’s pressure on state officials in Georgia to “find” more votes for him, as well as his White House rally before the Capitol siege, in which he encouraged thousands of supporters last Wednesday to “fight like hell” and march to the building.
The crowd dominated the police, breached security lines and windows and invaded the Capitol, forcing lawmakers to spread out as they finalized Biden’s victory over Trump at the Electoral College.
While some question the impeachment of the president so close to the end of his term, Democrats and others argue that he should be prevented from holding a future public office.
There are precedents for the impeachment process after an officer leaves office. In 1876, under Ulysses Grant, War Secretary William Belknap was impeached by the House on the day he resigned, and the Senate called for a trial months later. He was acquitted.
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Barrow reported from Wilmington, Delaware. Associated Press writers Alan Fram, Jill Colvin, Ellen Knickmeyer, Tom Beaumont and Darlene Superville contributed to this report.